Opinion

A Supreme Matter

~ debsthoughts

The date was January 27, 2016. The presidential primaries were well under way to putting Donald Trump, self-made billionaire extraordinaire, in the White House. I posted this picture on Facebook and wrote the following on that date:

Most of you know I steer clear of political posts because I prefer to appear neutral and would rather not get into heated discussions on SM. But I fear we are headed in a most frightening direction. I have not ‘heard’ one person support the Donald, yet we are told they’re out there. I find it odd that those who support him are quietly doing so, as if even *they* know how absurd the man is. These quiet supporters somehow admire the man for his audacity. I can see it now, if he gets into the White House, there will be a Presidential Reality TV show called: You’re Fired! And hey, why not vote for the wacko — how refreshing it will be to have someone completely out of control IN control. <Sarcasm.

I captioned the image with: Rolling over in their graves. Continue reading →

Let’s Not Go Nuclear

~ debsthoughts

The right to bear arms will not help us avoid a nuclear attack on our own land. We are experiencing precisely what many of us feared when Mr. Trump was elected president –  watching him bully his way through a crisis he created, quite possibly with one finger on the nuclear codes – or is he bluffing? Does it matter?

He truly believes the way to negotiate anything, including world peace, is to be a tough negotiator, to bully, threaten, lie and then walk away hoping your opponent agrees to your terms. As we all know threatening nuclear war is not subject to negotiation, however our president does not. Continue reading →

Petals Dropping, Seeds Ripening

Sunflower
~ debsthoughts

Seeking inspiration today I found it in this sunflower. Some may see it as all used up – petals lost, growth complete, all done, and so sad. But deep inside are seeds preparing for their journey to become something new again. The possibility of new life is within each seed and one sunflower can have 2,000 seeds! So. Much. Potential. Continue reading →

The Dandelion Knows

Dandelion
~ debsthoughts

Do you have trouble letting go of things? Are you having trouble letting go of the insane political climate? Letting go of choices you made long ago? Do you remember something you wish you’d done differently or at least wonder, what if?

Dandelions totally get it. A perfectly adorable yellow flower turns into a seed pod that has no intention of holding on to those hundreds of seeds. It knows how to let go.

Continue reading →

The Real Deal

Purple Iris
~ debsthoughts

This flower is the real deal. It’s not fake or even filtered. I took the picture in my front yard a couple years ago. Beautiful purple iris does make me question how something could be so perfect in nature. I don’t care how many folks might scream, FAKE! This flower is the real deal. Continue reading →

It’s a Balancing Act

~ debsthoughts

Republican lawmakers targeted by a lone gunman a little after 7 a.m. while practicing for a charity baseball game is not what you expect to see happening before your first sip of coffee on a Wednesday morning.

The gunman died in an angry attempt to express his political feelings. What drives someone to do that? A loss of balanced and rational thinking? I do wonder what his tipping point was but of course, we’ll probably never know. What we do know is the angry divide must be addressed somehow.

Respectfully, as it should be, news from the nation’s capital is not about collusion or obstruction of justice today. This morning’s events are likely a wake-up call to politicians on both sides. I can imagine the horribly frightening moments for those at the ball field this morning.

My guess is many who weren’t there are also imagining what if . . . it could have been me. With a sense of relief many of these folks are probably sharing a lot of loving thoughts with their families this afternoon, perhaps with newfound perspective for what really matters most and a desire to find a sense of balance. Continue reading →

Exit, Stage Left

Bird Exiting Stage Left
~ debsthoughts

So much is happening moment to moment these days. It’s thrilling. It’s entertaining. It’s disturbing. Some people tell me they are able to push it all away, not watch the news (it’s all fake news anyway, if you believe it is), and carry on in complete denial, pretending that we do not have a very big problem on our patriotic hands. I am not one of those people. I truly believe it is my civic duty to not sit back quietly and pretend that very soon our president will learn and do better.

Yesterday the most disturbing thing happened yet as presidential cabinet members each took turns praising the president . . . on queue. As is always the case with Donald Trump, the timing of this is relevant to better understanding the purpose of his distraction efforts. Continue reading →

No Lie

Writing Pen
~ debsthoughts

There’s been a lot of talk lately about liars. So much in fact, that new phrases have become popular and acceptable, like fake news and alternative facts. People are arguing that ‘all politicians lie,’ as though, if true, it somehow makes it acceptable which causes one to ask, does truth-telling matter? I suppose a blog called The Other Side of Denial should at least address the dilemma.

Interestingly, the basic definition of denial is: the action of declaring something to be untrue.

Well, holy moly, this blog is referencing the act of lying! I’ve been living in denial about my blog about living in denial. No lie. Continue reading →

How Did This Happen?

~ debsthoughts ~ 4 Comments

I’ve been on a quest to understand the mind of a Trump voter for many months now. Some I’ve spoken to admit they felt forced to vote against Hillary Clinton. Others quickly became defensive while blaming the Obama administration for all their problems. Some admitted they wouldn’t/couldn’t vote at all. But few could explain in logical detail why they voted the way they did and I am deeply curious still. Continue reading →